Matatu Operators Withdraw Fleets As Angry Demonstrators Block Key Transport Routes

Commuters across multiple major towns were stranded on Monday morning as violent protests over skyrocketing fuel prices erupted, completely paralyzing public transport systems in Embu, Chuka, Nyahururu, and Thika.

Demonstrators took to the streets early in the morning, barricading key highways and lighting bonfires on major thoroughfares. The escalating tension forced public service vehicle (PSV) operators to rapidly withdraw their fleets from the roads, leaving thousands of commuters with no way to travel.

Operators Withdraw Fleets to Evade Destruction

While the chaos brought businesses to a standstill, the transport sector clarified that the strike was not officially organized by matatu owners. Instead, operators grounded their vehicles out of sheer panic and the need to protect their investments.

The Embu Matatu Owners Association Chairman, Abraham Gicovi, explained that operators had to make a quick executive decision as the protests turned chaotic.

“We decided to withdraw our vehicles after protesters started lighting fires on the streets,” Gicovi stated. “We feared some vehicles could be attacked or burnt.”

Despite pulling their vehicles to safety, Gicovi noted that the transport sector fully sympathizes with the demonstrators. He argued that the government has failed to cushion Kenyans against punitive fuel hikes and the broader economic distress crushing ordinary citizens.

A Fragile Truce Broken

The sudden unrest caught many by surprise, coming just days after public transport federations had officially called off a planned nationwide strike. The reprieve followed high-level crisis talks between transport stakeholders and President William Ruto at State House, Mombasa, on Friday.

However, the grassroots anger over the fuel prices evidently bypassed the boardroom agreement, as citizens took matters into their own hands on Monday morning.

Public Support Mixed with Fear

While local residents who spoke during the demonstrations expressed deep frustration with the current economic situation, many strongly condemned the criminal elements hijacking the pickets. Reports emerged of rowdy youth stoning passing vehicles and targeting motorists who attempted to navigate the blockades.

Anti-riot police officers were deployed across the affected towns, engaging in running battles with the crowds and firing tear gas to dismantle the bonfires in a bid to restore normalcy to the critical transport corridors.